A memorial to the 47 British military personnel who were killed in the first Gulf War was unveiled on Sunday - 25 years after the conflict ended.

Around 1,000 people - including veterans and families of those who lost their lives - gathered at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffs., for the ceremony.

The new memorial has three pillars to represent each of Britain's three armed forces and its centre stone carries the image of the reverse of the Gulf Medal engraved in black granite.

It also has 47 paving stones each containing a name of those who were killed.

Beneath the centre stone there are 48 poppies , with one for each of the 47 killed and one poppy to remember the veterans who have died since the Gulf War ended.

Deadly mission: British soldiers in a trench during the Gulf War (Image: Getty)

The striking 12ft tall memorial was unveiled by Mr Khaled Al-Duwaisan, the Kuwaiti Ambassador to the UK, yesterday morning.

British Army padre David Johnstone conducted a service of dedication during which the names of the 47 Brits who were killed were read out.

The ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum followed a three-and-a-half year fundraising campaign by a small group of supporters.

They collected £70,000 through parties, sponsored parachute jumps, golf tournaments and a £35,000 contribution from the grateful government of Kuwait whose homeland was freed from the iron grip of Iraq.

The first Gulf War conflict began in 1990 and ended when Iraqi forces were driven from Kuwait in February 1991.

A US-led coalition fought the Iraqi army during the war after Iraq 's invasion of Kuwait was declared illegal by the United Nations .